Why Are Safety Rules Important?

Hana LaRock

Everywhere we go, no matter how old we are, we must follow safety rules. While many people may find these rules to be too overbearing or unnecessary, rules are what keep our society in order. Without rules, things would become chaotic very quickly and people may get hurt. Safety rules are important for a variety of different reasons, and it's never a bad idea to take a minute and ask yourself why these rules exist in the first place.

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Safety rules exist in order to keep people safe from injury and death and to prevent destruction of property.

Benefits of Rules and Regulations

Rules and regulations are visible in all aspects of life. Whether it be at the highest court in the land or the laws of driving on the road, rules and regulations can truly be seen everywhere. Though many people might not see the purpose of, say, stopping at a stop sign or driving at the speed limit, the benefits of rules and regulations is that ultimately, they keep us safe. If someone were to ignore the rules of the road, then he can easily get into a car accident, perhaps harming himself or another person. We may sometimes think that rules are silly, but at the end of the day, we might not make it to the end of the day without them.

Safety Rules for Children

People start to learn about the importance of rules when they are children. Needless to say, there are many rules in place for children to teach them right from wrong and how to keep themselves and their friends safe. For instance, children learn safety rules when they walk in the hallway at school. They are told not to run because they may trip and hurt themselves or collide with another student.

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In the lunchroom, children are taught to sit nicely while they eat because they are more likely to choke if they are jumping around in their seat. On the playground, they are told to use the equipment properly. For instance, they should not go down the slide backward or climb up the slide when someone is going down because there can be an accident. Children may not always understand why these rules exist, but generally, they will learn quickly the first time they break one.

Safety Rules for High School and College Students

High school and college students will also be given safety rules but at a different level than younger children. High school students may be taught, for instance, safety rules in the science lab. Lab safety is extremely important because if one thing is done wrong, it can result in a fire or a bad accident. Students in high school are often reminded of safety rules that they learn as children, like how to behave on the school bus and what to do if there is a fire drill.

By the time high schoolers go to college, they are considered young adults and therefore should know these rules like the back of their hand. In college, intentional rule breaking of any sort won't be tolerated. However, there are other safety rules that arise in college. For instance, there may be rules for what things you can or can't have in your dorm room. Many students are not allowed to have hot plates, for example, because they can lead to a fire. Drug and alcohol use are also monitored on campus, and those caught participating in these activities (especially on "dry" campuses) will likely be in trouble. Again, these rules are designed to help prevent students from getting hurt.

Why Is Safety Important in the Workplace?

You may ask why we should follow safety precautions even as adults in the workplace. Well, all that learning about safety rules as a child had a purpose. As an adult, you're expected to already know what the general rules are, even without being told. However, depending on your place of work, there will be more specific safety rules in place. These rules may dictate everything from how to operate a machine correctly to prevent injury or death to what to do if there is a fire or earthquake. Safety in the workplace is just as important as safety procedures in any other environment.

Why Is it Important to Follow Safety Procedures?

It's human nature to not want to be told what to do. However, when we begin to understand the reasons behind the safety procedures that are in place, it helps us to recognize that these rules are always designed with one intention in mind: to keep ourselves and others as safe as possible. Without rules and regulations, people also wouldn't be accountable for when they do disregard safety rules and potentially harm others. All these rules exist to establish order, responsibility and a sense of stability in our day-to-day lives.

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About the Author

Hana LaRock is a freelance content writer from New York, currently living in Mexico. She has spent the last 5 years traveling the world and living abroad and has lived in South Korea and Israel. Before becoming a writer, Hana worked as a teacher for several years in the U.S. and around the world. She has her teaching certification in Elementary Education and Special Education, as well as a TESOL certification. Hana spent a semester studying abroad at Tel Aviv University during her undergraduate years at the University of Hartford. She hopes to use her experience to help inform others. Please visit her website, www.hanalarockwriting.com, to learn more.